Psychologists reject offer

Psychologists working for district health boards (DHBs) have overwhelmingly rejected a new pay deal, paving the way for further industrial action.

About 600 psychologists, members of the Apex union, have been taking partial strike action since July, with psychologists restricting face-to-face contact with patients to two hours a day this month.

DHBs made a formal offer to union members on October 17. Union leaders said it failed to address recruitment and retention issues and claimed a better deal, which would have provided pay parity with Corrections Department psychologists, had been discussed and sidelined.

The union said yesterday its members had overwhelming rejected the offer, raising the prospect of further action. Patients have been waiting longer as a result of the recent action. Wait times were already an issue around the country. In Canterbury, youth mental health services were failing to meet national guidelines on assessment times. Stuff revealed this month some children with suspected autism spectrum disorder were waiting up to 18 months.

Professional bodies have long raised concerns about the need for more psychologists. In 2017, a workforce task group suggested a further 940 psychologists were needed across DHBs and primary care to meet demand.

Under the previous collective, psychologists working for DHBs could earn between $65,745 and $115,561 a year.

Dr Emma Edwards, a senior clinical psychologist and Apex delegate, said psychologists were concerned about wait times. People with severe mental health issues could wait up to a year to be seen.

Between March 2018 and 2019, psychologist vacancies across DHBs increased from 51.9 to 70 fulltime equivalent roles.

Edwards said during mediation, union members had been led to believe the DHBs had taken a proposal to the Government that would have closed the salary gap with Department of Corrections psychologists and funded more psychologists to work in DHBs. But she said the Government declined to fund the offer.